Alternative CNY treats to savour

There is much to tuck into when it comes to Chinese New Year treats. Every year, chefs embrace the old and the new with equal gusto; and we lap it all up with infectious glee. As such, leading retailer of organic and natural products, Supernature, has decided to offer a total of 1,000kg (up from last year’s bounty of just 300kg) of its best-selling bakwa (sweet barbeque pork, S$88 per kg), made from free-range pigs from Australia’s Linley Valley Farm (they’re fed a highly nutritious diet, sans antibiotics or growth hormones); and the meat is prepared and chargrilled by local artisans Kim Joo Guan. The best bit? You don’t even have to queue for it —orders can be placed online or by calling the flagship store at Forum (and, yes, you must hurry, as stocks are running out fast).

This year’s gamut also boast a tantalising nod to tradition from some unexpected sources. Cocotte, for example, has decided to combine the tangy, fresh flavours of the conventional yu sheng with a little French sensibility. Its rendition, with poached lobster (S$102) or its house-smoked duck (S$49), include a mix of zucchini, pears, grapefruit, fresh kumquat, ginger, hazelnuts, tarragon, chervil and a French blend of spices, paired with a citrus dressing made with honey and hazelnuts.

Even Korean fusion bistro SYNC has leapt onto the bandwagon with possibly Singapore’s first Korean yu sheng (from S$28, serves 2-4), which is based on a Korean “water sashimi” dish. This sweet and spicy alternative features 18 ingredients, from fresh Korean daikon and myoga (ginger flower) to an in-house kimchi, topped with freshly-sliced Korean sea bream sashimi and tobiko, all dressed in a blend of homemade kimchi juice, gochujiang (chilli pepper), soy and yuja (citron).

Of course, no celebration is complete without those addictively sweet snacks. Which is also why Thye Moh Chan’s novel bakwa tau sar piah (S$1.80 each) makes perfect sense. Its blend of fragrant flaky pastry, mung bean filling and nuggets of barbecue pork make for an addictive sweet-savoury treat even grandma will approve. These novel pickings are a great way to mix things up, surprise the jaded and satiate the gourmand.

Some, like Chef Pang Kok Keong’s Queen’s Dessert Lo Hei (S$88 from Antoinette, serves 6-8; only available at the Penhas Road outlet) have the youngest revellers in mind. Inspired by his two daughters who are too young to eat raw fish, Pang married the art of French patisserie and chocolate making with the auspicious customs and ingredients of the festivities. The large golden chocolate egg is nestled on a bed of chocolate fish, ingots and coins; five-spiced almonds and cashews; mandarin orange butter cake and meringue kisses; and yam and sweet potato chips. Use the accompanying wooden hammer to crack open the egg to reveal a salad of freshly prepared pineapple, Thai green mango, red dragon fruit and pomelo. Completing this bold mix of fruit and chocolate is the mandarin orange, plum and gula Melaka dressing. Sure, there is the option to settle for chocolate love letters, enrobed in Valrhona caraibe 66 per cent dark chocolate and dusted with gold powder (S$21.40 a box); but let’s just say that few snacks are as addictive as his pork floss meringue (S$10.70 a box), which melds light and fluffy yet slightly chewy meringue with traditional pork floss.

Another local pastry chef feted for her creative amalgamations is Janice Wong who has also added a few twists of her own. Nian gao (glutinous rice cake) may not be the most popular snack these days, but that could change with Wong’s “black gold” interpretation made with the finest glutinous rice flour, palm sugar, chrysanthemum, black sesame and truffle oil (S$28). Her water chestnut cake (S$20) is also available in two flavours: Traditional gula Melaka and rosella hibiscus.

And yes, Wong also puts a spin on the iconic pineapple tarts. Given the variety and quality on the market, this is a bold decision. Hers features less sugar and butter and fresh pineapples. There are four varieties to choose from: Traditional with salted caramel (S$22 a tub, S$18 before Feb 1), banana with salted caramel (S$22 a tub, S$18 before Feb 1), chocolate-dipped (S$24 a tub, S$20 before Feb 1, and banana chocolate-dipped (S$26 a tub, S$22 before Feb 1). The chocolate-dipped confections are dipped in Cacao Barry’s single origin Equateur 76 per cent dark chocolate. They’re available only at her pop-up shop, Sweet Boutique, at ION Orchard Level 1 atrium.

For more nostalgic tweaks, Sinpopo Brand has introduce a modest selection of familiar flavours. Rich and buttery, its sugee biscuits (S$12 a bottle) are surprisingly light and crumbly. As is its re-imagining of the traditional gai zai pang (S$12 a jay), which is now slightly chewy, light and crisp. As one might expect from the people behind Awfully Chocolate, there is also a cake to rival its already popular chocolate creation. Sinpopo Brand’s Gula Melaka Cake (S$28, serves 5) is a simple, moist cake topped with a thick gula Melaka glaze. If that’s not a sweet treat, we don’t know what is.